In the aftermath of the LA wildfires, residents have created a spreadsheet of landlords who they’ve caught price-gouging LA rentals in an attempt to rip off already suffering people:
LA isn’t playing around… There’s a spreadsheet of landlords price-gouging rent during the LA Fires https://t.co/in7qTMp0Kf
— Mexican Rug Dealer (@DealinRugs) January 14, 2025
Disgusting. While families who lost everything in the LA fires struggle to rebuild, greedy landlords are hiking rents to exploit their pain. This is what unchecked greed looks like. We see you. LA won’t stand for this. #PriceGouging #LAFires https://t.co/5hHDeb1Pvu
— Lance Wilson (@LanceMackWilson) January 14, 2025
LA rentals: a disaster capitalist’s goldmine
Unfortunately, price increases after climate crisis-fuelled disasters, like wildfires or earthquakes, is pretty common. However, California Penal Code section 396 prohibits:
excessive and unjustified increases in the prices of essential consumer goods and services, construction services, hotel lodging, and residential rental properties during and shortly after a declared state of emergency or local emergency.
This means it is illegal for landlords or businesses to increase the price of any of the previously mentioned services by more than 10%. Unless they can prove that the increase in price was directly related to additional costs by circumstances brought on by the state of emergency. They also have to prove that the price is not greater than 10% of their costs, plus their usual markup:
a real problem in LA rn. rent increases shouldn’t spike beyond 10% of a recent listing price. it is ILLEGAL (not just unethical) to price gouge. doesnt matter if demand is up – its fucked and illegal to take advantage of people during a state of emergency. https://t.co/oQ9s5tSfVW pic.twitter.com/WCuryIzgCG
— Rach (@RachQuitlol) January 15, 2025
Whilst city officials are asking residents to report LA rentals price gouging to the California Attorney General, the people have taken it into their own hands:
See not tryna be petty but this is how you use a spreadsheet for good. This should be the database people are keeping lmaooo https://t.co/Yrg8WxGqrn
— not a lover, not a fighter, but a secret 3rd thing (@profesh_fucker) January 14, 2025
I’m cold calling all these owners to see if they wanna sell before lawsuits come
— Brandon Lehman (@RetiredBrandon) January 14, 2025
The project, run by volunteers who ‘love Los Angeles and its people’ currently has nearly 1,000 listings. Some of the prices have increased by over 150%. One property in Venice has increased from $3,000 per month, to $31,888 – that’s a 963% increase:
btw here’s how to find and report predatory landlords in LA who are price gouging in the wake of the wildfires ✨which is illeeeeeegal✨ pic.twitter.com/oiu8KTXzJF
— sloane (sîpihkopiyesîs) 🇵🇸🇨🇩🇸🇩 (@cottoncandaddy) January 13, 2025
Another property in Manhattan beach was raised from $3,450 to $33,000 – that’s another insane increase, at 844%:
There is no room for humanity in our version of capitalism. It’s not changing but that’s what it is https://t.co/IuwBPdFM02
— Action Costanza (@FlightDavis1) January 14, 2025
Housing crisis
Even before the recent wildfires, Los Angeles was already experiencing a housing crisis. Since 1960, LA’s population has nearly doubled. Now, with over 12 million inhabitants, housing availability is seriously behind. Data suggests a shortage of around 400,000 homes.
The median price of a two-bed apartment in California is three times the median monthly salary. This is a symptom of a much bigger problem though, as a recent Harvard study found at least half of Americans cannot afford their rent. Currently, 8.1 million Californians spend an unaffordable share of their income on housing.
Homelessness is at a record high in California, as with in other parts of the world. The latest federal estimate is that 181,000 people are currently experiencing homelessness in the state.
Research from the University of California showed that the primary cause of the homelessness crisis was the high cost of housing.
Mobilisation
It seems that in the wake of the devastating fires, people on social media are mobilising against LA rentals price gouging:
Outside of LA and don’t have the dough to donate to GoFundMe’s but still wanna help out?
Check out this document and sign up as a volunteer to help report Landlord Price Gouging!👇👇👇
Go to the “About” tab and click the link on row 7 to fill out the volunteer form #LAFires https://t.co/EOJvAb9EU0
— Matt Kenny (@KattMenny) January 15, 2025
i smell a revolution https://t.co/7oD81gPpQO
— 🪬bodymind🪬 (@bodymind_bri) January 15, 2025
In a week where wildfires have displaced thousands of people, it has become clearer than ever the scale of the housing crisis facing LA.
Just as evident is that landlords are the literal scum of the earth. Meanwhile, LA rentals are now the disaster capitalists’ gold mine. So as homes, public spaces, and livelihoods go up in smoke, these vultures only care about the profits they can squeeze out of the displaced community.
However, as LA burns, people aren’t about to let them get away with it. Not when that whole community’s world is literally on fire.
Feature image via
